Dominica is an island in the Lesser Antilles, part of a group known as the Windward Islands. A volcanic island, it is covered by rugged mountains and rainforests. In the 17th century, its craggy landscape protected the native Carib people and made it one of the last islands to be colonized by European settlers. Not to be confused with the much larger Dominican Republic, Dominica is sometimes known as the “nature island”. Large areas have been made into nature reserves and the government encourages eco-tourism: tourism which has a lower impact on nature and wildlife. Dominica has a hot, tropical climate. In late summer it is often hit by hurricanes, which cause heavy rain, high winds and landslides.

People

Most Dominicans are descended from the enslaved Africans who once worked on the island’s sugar and coffee plantations. A few thousand native Carib Indians still live on the island in villages on the east coast. English is the main language, but many people, especially from older generations, also speak a French-based language called Antillean Creole.

Economy

Bananas are a major crop in Dominica: around a third of all the island’s workers are involved in banana production. This industry relies heavily on good weather; a poor growing season or the visit of a hurricane can devastate the country’s economy. As a result, farmers are trying to grow a wider range of crops, such as coffee, flowers, coconuts and oranges.

Boiling Lake

Dominica is home to a hot spring called Boiling Lake. Measuring up to 76 metres (250 feet) across, it is the second-largest of its kind in the world, with only Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand bigger. The lake lies close to the Morne Watt volcano, in a crater blasted out by an earlier explosive eruption. At the bottom of the lake there is a fumarole, an opening in the ground through which steam and other gases burst out.
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Facts about Dominica

Population 73,543

Area 751 sq km

Highest Point Morne Diablotins 1447 m (4747 ft)

Capital Roseau, population 14,556

Other major cities Portsmouth (pop. 4167)

Languages English, Antillean Creole

Religions Christian (Roman Catholic) 61%, Christian (Protestant) 21%, other Christian 9%, Rastafari 1%, others 8%

Ethnicity black African 87%, mixed 9%, Carib 3%, white 1%

Currency East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Chief exports bananas, soap, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges